News Roundup - February 19, 2008

The Financial Times: Kazakhstan pursues strategy of enrichment

The existence of Ulba, a metallurgical plant in remote north-east Kazakhstan, was a state secret in Soviet times, fabricating nuclear fuel and casings for atomic bombs…

Reuters: Russia’s RenCap acquires stake in Kazkommerts - paper

Russian investment bank Renaissance Capital has built up a 10 to 15 percent stake in Kazkommertsbank, Kazakhstan’s largest bank, Russian newspaper Vedomosti reported on Monday…

Guardian Unlimited: Backing Kazakhstan’s ‘great game’

Those who oppose western rapprochement with Kazakhstan cite the country’s lack of political and human rights. But, while Kazakhstan has not gone down the “colour revolution” route to democracy that other post-Soviet republics such as Ukraine and Georgia have followed, its timidity about reform does not justify isolation…

MarketWatch: Transparency International to probe of UniCredit’s ATF deal

Berlin-based Transparency International, a global civil society organization, Monday said it has started its own investigation into UniCredit SpA’s acquisition of Kazakhstan’s ATF Bank…

AgriMarket.Info: Kazakhstan plans to expand the areas under grain

According to the Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan Ahmetzhan Esimov, they plan to increase volumes of grain production in connection with growing world demand on it…

RIA Novosti: Russia bans grain exports to Belarus, Kazakhstan until Apr. 30

Russia banned on Monday grain exports to Belarus and Kazakhstan until April 30 in an apparent effort to stabilize domestic bread and flour prices…

The Editors Weblog: Kazakhstan: controversial newspaper shuttered

An Astana court has ordered independent newspaper Law and Justice to close, invoking errors in the newspapers’ registration. The newspaper’s owners say the forced closure is a reponse to their reporting on corruption in Kazakhstan’s judiciary…